Wire feeding machine



March 2,5, 1952 R. c. voRDERs'rRAssL- 2,590,806

WIRE FEEDING MACHINE Filed NOV. 13, 1948 v 2 SHEETS SHEIET 1 Eg. Z f

Il 1| "1| u u n 2 6b I I lul l 26 l 29 jO--3/ H J 29a I El 24C I Z4 LFENYE? l March 2 5, 1952 R. c.. voRDx-:RsTRAssE 2,590,806

` WIRE FEEDING MACHINE Filed NOV. l5, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Ivy-51h22.?"

Patented Mar. 25, `1952 WIRE FEEDING MACHINE Rudolph C. Vorderstrasse,Sterling, Ill., assignor to Northwestern Steel and Wire Company,Sterling, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 13, 1948,Serial No. 59,931

l Claim. l

This invention relates to an improved mechanism for periodically feedingsuccessive identical lengths of Wire in .an axial direction relative tothe Wire, and particularly to an improved cross wire feeding mechanismfor use in fence making machines.

It is a well known fact in the art of fence making that one of the mostcritical factors in the operation of any fence making machine is themechanism by which successive identical lengths of cross wires are fedinto the machine for association with the line wires. The problemsinvolved in such a wire feeding operation are readily apparent when itis considered that modern fence making machines operate at a raterequiring the insertion or feeding of from 50 to 100 cross Wires into apredetermined relationship with respect to the line wires each minutethat the machine operates. Furthermore, the length of the successivecross wires fed into the machine must be carefully controlled, for aWire that is too short Will result in a defective section of fence,while a wire that is too long will cause a malfunction of the fencemaking machine, with the attendant loss of production time required toshut down the machine and remove' the extra length of wire.

Concisely stated, the problem is that of intermittently, yet at a highcyclic rate, axially feeding'substantially identical lengths of crossWire into a predetermined position in the fence mak-l ing machine. Thefact that an intermittent feed is required necessarily means that thecross Wire must be intermittently advanced and, in order to maintainvariations of the length of the wire at a minimum, this means that thewire ymust be rapidly accelerated to its normal feeding speed and thenequally rapidly decelerated when sufricient length of Wire has been fedinto the machine.

Cross wire feeding mechanisms have heretofore been known which employ apair of constantly rotating feed rollers whose axes were periodicallyshifted relative to each other to bring the rollers into clampingengagement with the cross wire for a predetermined length of time,sufficient to accomplish the feeding of the required length of crosswire, and then such rollers were axially displaced to interrupt thefeeding motion of the cross wires. This invention relates to -a feedingmechanism of this general type, but embodies certain detailedimprovements in such feeding mechanisms which, although they appear tobe of a detailed nature, have resulted in very substanti-al improvementsin the accuracy and reliability of the cross Wire feeding operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedmechanism for successively feeding substantially identical lengths .of

wire.

A particular object of this invention is to provide an improved crosswire feeding mechanism for use in fence making machines which willsuccessively feed substantially equal lengths of cross wires into afence making machine for association with the line Wires.

Another particular object of this invention is to provide an improvedconfiguration of the wire feeding nip defined by a pair of cooperatingfeed rollers.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved camcontrolled mechanism for periodically shifting the axes of the feedrollers relative to each other to effect the intermittent feeding of across wire through the nip thereof.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof Will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe following detailed description of theA annexed sheets of drawingswhich, by way of preferred example only, illustrate one specificembodiment of the invention.

On the drawings: 4

Figure l is a plan view of a Wire feeding mechanism embodying thisinvention which was constructed particularly for use in a fence makingmachine;

Figure 2 isa side elevational view of the device of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged scale, partial elevational view, with portionsthereof in section, of the feeding roll employed in the device of Figure1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged scale sectional View of the nip portion of thefeeding rolls; and

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the shift in relative axialposition of the two feed rolls accomplished by the cam controlledmechanism embodying this invention.

As shown on the drawings:

'When employed in conjunction with a fence making machine, a wirefeeding device embodying this invention is generally mounted adjacentthe side of the fence making machine, and since the construction of thefence making machine forms no part of this invention, it has not beenshown in the drawings. A suitable articulated framework l0 is providedfor supporting the varij ous elements of the wire feeding device andsuch framework supports a pair of spaced bearing brackets II at anelevated position, approximately adjacent the height at which it isdesired to feed predetermined lengths `of cross wires into the fencemaking machine. Bearing brackets I I provide bearing support for a iixedroll shaft I2 to which is secured a lower feed roll unit I3 and adriving'pinion I4. Pinion I4 is driven by a chain I5 which cooperateswith Ia large gear I6 mounted on a shaft II near tlie bottom of themachine and having a Igear I8 secured theretof 3 Gear I8 is driven by apinion I9 mounted on the end of the shaft 2Il= of an electric motor 2 I.In this manner, the bottom feed roll unit I3 is continuously rotatingduring the operation of the feeding device.

A shaft 22 is supported in the top portions of the bearing brackets IIand an eccentric sleeve 23 (Figure 3) is rotatably journaled on suchshaft, the bore 23a of the sleeve being eccentrically located withrespect to the external periphery of sleeve 23. A top feeding roll unit24 is then journaled on the exterior of eccentric sleeve 23. It istherefore apparent that by angularly adjusting the sleeve 23 relative toits supporting shaft 22, the effective vertical displacement between theaxis of rotation of the upper feed unit roll 24 and the lower feed rollunit I3 will be varied. Thus the effective width of the nip defined bythe feed roll units I3 and 24 may be adjusted.

The feed roll units I3 and 24 are of substantially identicalconstructionand both comprise a cylindrical roll portion I3a and 24a respectively inthe centers of which are formed annular wire grasping grooves |317 and24b respectively. As is best shown in Figure 4, the grooves I3b and 24hare of generally triangular configuration and this construction is indistinct contrast to conventional arrangements which heretofore haveemployed a generally semi-circular cross sectional configuration of theWire feeding groove. In addition, each roll element I3a and 24a isrespectively co-rotatably secured to a gear member I3a and 24e. Suchgear members are of identical size and have teeth of sufficient lengthto maintain the gears in continuous engagement irrespective ofvariations in the relative axial position of the two feed roll unitswhich might be effected by adjustment of the eccentric angular positionof the eccentric sleeve 23. Hence both feed roll units rotate atidentical speeds.

The size of the wire grasping grooves I3b and 24o provided in the rollparts I3a and 24a is so proportioned as to provide a secure clampingengagement upon any length of wire W inserted therebetween, and toprevent the remainder of the peripheral surfaces of the cooperating rollparts coming into contact. In this manner, all of the biasing force thatis applied between the two feed rolls to urge them toward a minimum nipposition is transmitted to a clamping engagement upon the wire and, as aresult, whenever the two feed roll units are shifted in their minimumnip position, the wire will be pulled through the nip at the same speedas the peripheral speed of the wire grasping grooves and little slippagewill occur, even during the initial acceleration of the wire.

To periodically shift the two feed roll units I3 and 24 to their minimumnip or wire feeding position, this invention provides an eccentricoperating arm 26 which has an enlarged hollow cylindrical portion 26asurrounding and keyed to a projecting portion of 'the eccentric sleeve23. One end 2Gb of the operating arm is bifurcated and pivotally securedto a vertically extending rod 29 by a pin 30 which passes through ablock 29a threadably secured to rod 29.

l The other end of the operating arm 26 engages an adjustable limitstop, such as the screw 3l mounted in a suitable bracket 32 supported onthe frame II). With this arrangement, any vertical movement of the rod29 will produce an angular shifting of the position of the eccentricsleeve 23 with respect to its supporting shaft 22 and hence produce acorresponding shift in the 4 relative axial separation of the two feedroll units I3 and 24.

The bottom end 29h of control rod 29 is pivotally'secured to one end ofa link 33 which has its other end pivotally secured to a bracket 33a onframe I 0 by a pivot pin 34. A cam follower roller 35 is supported onlink 32 in depending relationship by a bracket 36. A cam 31 is securedto the main drive shaft in the vicinity of the cam follower roller 35. Aspring 38 is then provided, operating between the floor or anystationary part of the deviceto urge the link 33 downwardly and hencemaintain the cam follower roller 35 in engagement with the periphery ofcam 31. The stop 3I is suitably adjusted to permit such engagement.

The cam .31' is so contoured as to periodically effect the lifting ofthe cam follower roller 35 against the bias of the spring 38 and henceproduce a slightangular shift in the position of the eccentric sleeve23, hence shifting the feed roller units I3 and 24 from their proximateto their remote positions. The rate of rotation of the main drive shaftis preferably selected so that cam 31 effects the shifting of themovable feed roller 24 from its inoperative to its wire feeding positionrelative to the fixed feed roller I3 once during each rotation of thecam 31.

It should be particularly noted that with the described arrangement, thefeeding of the wire W takes place only when the cam follower roller 35is contacting the low portions, of the cam 31. The on cam positions ofthe cam follower roller 35, i. e., when the cam follower roller 35 isengaged by the high portions of the surface of cam 31 effects theshifting of the movable feed roller 24 to 'its non-feeding position.This arrangement has been found to be particularly desirable and toyield greatly improved performance as compared with mechanisms whereinthe wire feeding or minimum nip positions of the two feed rollscorresponds to an on cam position of the cam follower roller. The reasonfor such difference is believed to lie in the fact that when the l.g5feeding movement is accomplished during the off cam position of the camfollower roller 35, the full force of the spring 38 is available topress the fed rolls into biting engagement with the wire W, and there isno tendency of the feed rolls l to chatter andthus intermittentlydecrease their biting engagement with the wire W and permit the slightslipping of the wire. This condition cannot be realized with on camfeeding of the wire, in as much as very slight irregularities in 5 5 thecam surface will then be effective to reduce the biting engagement ofthe feed rolls with the wire, and furthermore, the amount of forceavailable for grasping the wire is determined strictly by the accuracyof the cam design and the maintenance of proper dimensions in. allportions of of the rolls will be maintained at a minimum.

The sensitivity of the relative axial position of the feed rolls withrespect to the contour of cam,

37 is more clearly shown in the schematic diagram of Figure 5, where inthe solid lines indicate the position of the feed rolls in their minimumnip, or Wire feeding position and the dotted lines indicate theirrelative position in their inoperative or non-feeding position. Thecorresponding angular positions of the eccentric arm 2B are similarlyshown in solid and dotted lines, and it will be noted that a substantialangular displacement of the arm 26 is required to produce a relativelyslight axial displacement of the two feed roll units.

As was heretofore stated, the improvements in the wire feeding mechanismaccomplished by this invention appear in retrospect to be of ratherdetailed nature but the results achieved thereby have been reallyamazing from the standpoint of greatly increased accuracy andreliability of performance. The described feeding mechanism willsuccessively feed substantially identical lengths of wire into a fencemaking or similar machine operating at high cyclic rates and willmaintain its accuracy over a long period without requiring shutdowns foradjustment or repair purposes.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be modified through a wide range `without departing from theprinciples of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose tolimit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scopeof the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

An intermittent wire feeding apparatus for successively feedingpredetermined lengths of cross wire to a fence welding machinecomprising a frame, a feed roll journaled on said frame, a motor, a maindrive shaft driven by said motor and a positive drive connection fromsaid shaft to said feed roll, a cooperating feed roll journaled on saidframe and with said first mentioned feed roll defining a niptherebetween, a gear coaxial with and rotated by said first feed roll, asecond gear coaxial with and rotating said cooperating feed rollandmeshing with said first mentioned gear, the mounting for said secondgear and cooperating feed roll on said frame comprising a shaft parallelto the axis of said first feed roll and mounted on said frame with itslongitudinal axis offset from the center of said roll, a sleeve on saidshaft, the center of said sleeve being eccentric of the center of saidshaft and concentric with the center of said gear and roll, and saidsleeve having said gear and cooperating feed roll journaled thereon, anarm secured to said sleeve, a cam rotatably driven by said main driveshaft, a second 'rocking arm spaced beneath said rst arm and pivoted tosaid frame, a follower on said rocking arm engaging said cam to one sideof the' center thereof, a link operatively connecting saidarms together,and a spring connected to the free end of said second arm and yieldablyengaging said follower with said cam, whereby rotation of said cam willperiodically pivot said first arm and eccentric sleeve and vary the niprelationship between said rolls into periodic feeding engagement withthe cross wire therebetween.

RDOLPH C. VORDERSTRASSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 220,224 Everson Oct. 7, 1879343,928 Stambaugh June 15, 1886 357,228 Pocock Feb. 8. 1887 540,543Ebert June 4, 1895 1,093,578 Sommer Apr. 14, 1914 1,151,784 Herman Aug.31, 1915 1,275,984 Bailey Aug. 13, 1918 1,300,704 Drewes Apr. 15, 19191,612,159 Sommer Dec. 28, 1926 1,733,557 Pfannenstiehl Oct. 29, 19291,857,116 Dina` May 3, 1932

